Spinal extensor



y 1931- J. J. NUGENT 1,803,556

SPINAL EXTENSOR Filed Dec. 10, 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Inven'tor Attorney May 5, 1931. .1. J. NUGENT 1,303,555

SPINAL EXTENSOR Filed Dec. 10, 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet *2 A tiorney won ( shown standing;

- .lconfiguration, said plate having a covering.

r Patented M 5,1931

This invention r1'atest fievi ces for a porting diseasedbacks, and has asl its primary 'objecta device 'of thi s type which'will be adjustable so that the several vertebrae can '5 be supported andtthe pressureifrom one to the {other relieved.

' 'to provide. a device of this character which will be found beneficial in giving relief and 10 support' in spinojus processes, following infantile paralysis, spinal meningitis," off any other type of meningitis'or complications, rheumatism or-injury, fraictures of the'vertebrae, infections or abscesses of thespinal weight of the body taken off of the legs 0r pelvic bones. I f v j "A 'stillfurther' object "Of the invention is to provide a spinal: brace of this character which will notinte'rfere with thecirculatory system or the nervous system. j V V 5 Other obj ects and advantagesof'the invention will become 'app alr'ent during the study ofthe following description, taken in con- 7 l nection the accompanying: drawings wherein Figure .1 is a frontelevationalview ofmy improved spinal .bracexshowing the same; in position upon a patient, "the"patient be ng f Fig; 2 isa'rear elev thesame'in p'ositionon ap'ati ent'.

"patient being shown in'a sittingposture. Vl/ ith reference more in detail to thedrawings, wherein similar figures refer to i'l'ike parts .tl'iroughout theiis'everal views, it' will be seen that mydevice'comprisesa" suitable fiibly offnietal'andsomewhatof heart shape of suitable flezrible material. 'l he plate .is "disposedagainst the sacrum atgthe base of the spinal'coluinn. "An abdominal 6 excolumn, orinshort any condition whe're'the arp s enfia A'pair of spacedthreaded'rods'19'have hinge connections 20. attheir lower ends with the pad. 5, and these rods 19 extend upwardly ti i h ,s owi 'Jad 5, which pad 5 comprises a plate preferg adjacent opposite ends of the pad 23, the horimembers 9 'carrying rings 10. "5Attached?to onoGnE mwrAn jhAp plieation fi eanc'entfi 19. 1929. serial-n qeiabsa;

each of the rings l lje ac'h fof whlch straps 11 is provided with a. plurality ofilongitiidinally spaced openingsl2, r r ada jus'table engagement with a, conventional fbuckle 18, carried on the extreme end'ofthe V 1 eXtensions 7,'above said abdominalpad,6. stillfurtherjohject of the invention isj Similar loop-members 14 are riveted to the pad adjacent the lower edge of the pad, and

these members have associatedtherewith:

the straps 12; and said straps 16 are adapted for adjustable engagement with bucklesjl'l on thefree ends ofthe extensions 8. Y Suitable loop forming straps 18 are secured to and extend transversely of the abdominal pad 6 and thru which the, free, end ofthe straps 12 andlG respectivelyinay be passed for retaining'these ends against: undesirable T in spaced parallelism al'ong theback of the patient. The'upperends' of the; feds 19 are telescopically received in elongatedtubular pa d supporting rods 20. Each rOdQO-Latfits lower end is'provided with an {adjusting nutv 21 for cooperationwith the threads, ofthe rod' 19, for longitudinally i adjusting the tubular rods 20 with respect to i ,rods 19.

Secured to the upper ends lof the rod s' 2O, 1 Fig. 3 "is" aside elevation"thereof,rthe.v

'an in i 1 1 118 find i lfa P 2 patient, between the shoulders-of thepatient. This pad 23-is"also1formed of anelongated."

substantiallyfm tangiilar piece of t l by ny suitableflexiblefabric.

L-s'ha'ped rods 24 extend forwardly from,

.zontalarn1s25 offsaid L-shapedbars24 ex.- tending. over the shoulders of thepatient. at

vantage in Figs. 2 and3;

opposite sides ofthepatientfasfshown'to'adh patient; At the back offthe patienflthe i'de 9 pads 26 are adjustably connected through the medium of a strap 27 secured to one of the pads 26, which strap27 is adapted for adjustable engagement with a buckle 28 on the adjacent end of the other of said pads 26, said last-mentioned pad 26 having a suitable loop 29 thereon, for reception of the free end of said strap 27..

Each of the side pads 26 at their ends are provided with extensions 27 a and 28a, the extension 27 a of each of the pads extending upwardly at the back of the patient, while the extension 28a of each of the pads extends upwardly at the front of the patient.

Shoulder straps 30 have their intermediate portion passing through rings 31 adjustably retained on the horizontal arms of the Said L-shaped supporting bars 24, the said arms 25 of said bars at their forward free ends being provided with a series of longitudinally spaced notches 25 for selectively receiving the rings 31. 1

The free ends of the shoulder straps are adapted for adjustable connection with suitable buckles 32 secured to each of said extensions 27a and 28a respectively at the free ends of said extensions, and indicated to advantage in Figs. 1 and 3.

The front or forward ends of the side pads 26 are drawn toward one another across the chest of the patient through the medium of a strap 33, which strap33 has one end thereof secured to one of the side pads 26, and the other end portion of the strap 33, having adjustable engagementwith a buckle 34 on the forward end of the other of said side pads 2 6. Manifestly by tightening the adjusting head bar 35 extends upwardly, and at its upper end terminates in a right angularly disposed forwardly extending extension 36, extending across the top of the head of the patient.

. A. sleevemember 37 preferably formed of leather, felt, or any other suitable material is slidable longitudinally on the horizontally disposed extension 36, and at opposite ends thereof-this sleeve 37 is provided with buckles 38. 7 7

A head strip 39 extends across the back and sides of the head atthe napeof the neck of "thepatient, upwardly above the ears of the patient, as shownto advantage in Fig. 3. A

chin strap 40 has its ends extending upwardly at opposite sides of the face of the patient, and the free ends of the chin supporting strap tO are pivotally connected to the free ends of the straps 39, and to the ends of adjusting straps 41 by a common pivotal connection 42. The adjusting straps 41 have their free ends adjustably engaged with the buckles 38. i

The chin strap 40 is further adjustably QImected' with the head strap 39 through the medium of adjusting straps 42 which straps 42 at one end are secured to the chin supporting straps 40 and have their free ends adapted for adjustable connection with buckles 43 on the head strap 39, said connecting straps, 42 extending along opposite sides of the head adjacent the neck as clearly indicated to advantage in Fig. 3.

It, is believed that from the foregoing description, and a study of the same, and the drawings taken in connection therewith, .a

clear understanding of the operation, construction as shown, and advantages of a spinal brace of this character will be had by those skilled in the art without a more detailed description thereof.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new is 1-,- i

1. A spinal brace comprising a air of rigid supporting members,ea ch of sai members being longitudinally adjustable, a pad hingedlyconnected to said supporting members at one end of said suporting members, said pad adapted for disposition against the spinal column, at the base of said spinal column, a second pad secured to said rigid supporting members at the opposite ends of said members, for connection with the last-mentioned endsof said members, said last mentioned pad extending across the back betweenthe shoulders of a patient, an abdominal pad, adjustable connections between the first mentioned pad; and said abdominal pad, supporting members carried by the said second pad and extending forwardly at opposite sides of the neck of the patient, a pair of pads to be disposed at opposite sides of the patient, an adjustable means for drawing the adjacent ends of said last mentioned pads toward one another and across the back of the patient, similar adjusting means for drawing the adjacent forward ends of said pads across the chest of the patient, shoulder straps for each ofsaid last mentioned side pads, means for adjustably securing the intermediate portions of said shoulder straps to the. last-mentioned supporting. bars, and a head bar arising from said second pad and terminating above the head of the patient, a head strap operatively associated with said head bar, a chin strap oppositely associated with said head bar, and

an adjustable connection beween said head straps and said chin straps.

against the back of the patient.

l ssee 2. In a spinal brace of the character described, a pad adapted for disposition at the base of the spinal column, a second pad eX- tendingacross the front of the patient atthe waist thereof, adjustable straps connecting said pads, a pair of longitudinally adjustable rigid supporting members ,hingedly connected to the first-mentioned pad to extend upwardly along the back of the patient, a

back supporting pad on the upper end of said supporting members, a pair of adj ustably connected pads, the-pads of said pair beingdisposed' one to each side of the patient, shoulder straps for said pads, andrigid supporting means carried by said back support ing pad for adjustable engagement with said shoulder strap 3. In a spinal brace of the character de-.

scribed, a pad adapted for disposition at the:

base of the spinal column, a second pad extending across the front of the patient at the waist thereof, adjustable straps connecting said pads, a pair of longitudinally adjustable rigid supporting members hingedly connected to the first-mentioned pad to extend upwardly along the back ofthe patient, a back supporting pad-0n the upper end" of said supporting members, a pair of adjustably connected pads, the pads of said pair being disposed one to each side of the patient,

shoulder straps for said pads, and rigid sup-'- porting means carried by said back supporting pad for adjustable engagement with said shoulder straps, said lastdnentioned means also including means for retaining said rigid supporting members against swinging movement, and said back supporting pad 4. In a spinal brace of the character described, a pad adapted for disposition at the base of the spinal column, asecond pad extending across the front of the patient at the waist thereof, adjustable straps connecting said pads, a pair of longitudinally adjustable rigid supporting members hing'edly mounted to the first-mentioned pad to extend upwardly along the back of thepatient, a back supporting pad on the upper end of said supporting members,a pair of adjustably con nected pads, the pads of said pair being disposed one to each side of the patient, shoulder straps for said pads, and rigid supporting means carried by said back'supporting pad for adjustable engagement with said shoulder straps, said last-mentioned means also including means for retaining said rigid supporting members against swinging movement, and said back supporting pad against the back of the patient, and a'headsupport ing ro'd,means for ad ustably securing'one end of said rod to said back supporting pad,

said rod being substantially of LV-shape in form and having one arm thereof extending vforwardly for dispositionabove thechead of the patient, a chin strap, and, adj ustab1e'conthe shoulders,

nections between saidchinsttrap and the lastmentionedfarmof said head supporting rod. l5 .5.,In;a spinal brace of the character v dejscribed, 'a padiadapted for dispositionat the r base 10fthe spinal column, tending across the front'of ,waist thereof, adjustable 'said3pads, a pa'ir of; longitudinally adjust a second pad ex: the patientat the straps connecting able rigid supporting members hingedly mounted to the first-mentioned pad to extend, upwardly along the back of the patient, a back supporting pad on the upper end ofsaid supporting members, a pair of adjustably connected pads, the'pads of said pair'of'adjustable pads being disposed one to each side of the patient, shoulder straps for said pads," and rigid supporting means carried by said back supporting pad, said last-mentioned 7 means also including means for retaining said rigid supporting members against swinging, movement, and said back supporting pad against the back of the patient, a head supporting rod, means for adjustably securing one end of said rod to said back supporting pad, said rod being-substantially L-shaped in form and having one arm thereof extend ing forwardly for disposition above the head of the'patient, a chin strap and adjustable ed to engage the-back of the wearer adjacent relatively rigid brace means connecting said upper and lower pads, means for retainingfsaid lower pad at the said base of the spinal column, a pair of relatively rigid members carried by said upper pad and having horizontal end portions extending-above the shoulders, sidepads for engaging the body below the shoulders, means for retaining the side pads-in position on the body, shoulder, straps for said sidepads, meansadjustably connecting said shoulder straps with the last referred to rigid members.

7. In a spinal brace of the character described, a longitudinally adjustable memberfor disposition alongthe back'of the wearer,

end thereof,means for retaining said pad in position onthe body of the wearer, asecond pad carried by. said member adjacent the opposite end thereof, a pair of angular rods carried by saidsecond pad, and respectively hav- 7 a pad carried by said member adjacent one ingan end portion for disposition over the j shoulder of the wearer, a pair of chest pads, one for disposition to each side of the wearer,

means for retaining said chest pad in position on the body of the wearer, shoulder straps for said chest pad, rings carried by said'shoulder straps, the end ortions' of said rods being notched for a justably retaining said rings in engagement with said rods.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

JOHN J. NUGENT. 

